Presentation by the Florida Department of Education,
Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA)
Theresa Antworth
Director, State Scholarship & Grant Programs
March 11, 2011
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Third largest student financial aid program
funded by Florida Legislature
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Considered Tuition Assistance not Financial Aid
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No need or merit component
30 Participating Institutions
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Keiser University to join the program in 2011-12
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Program Name
Program
Type
Appropriation
Percent of
Total
Student
Count *
Bright Futures
Merit
$437,282,546
65%
179,659
Florida Student
Assistance Grant
Need
$129,977,707
19%
124,275
Florida Resident Access
Grant
Tuition
Assistance
$83,856,500
12%
34,493
Other (includes federal Robert C. Byrd) Other
$25,343,502
4%
23,573
Total (state and Byrd funds)
$676,460,255
100%
362,000
* Program student counts are from March 2011 Student Financial Aid Estimating Conference
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Annual GAA sets the maximum award amount and
appropriates funds for a consensus count of full time
students
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Each eligible student receives maximum award
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Award is capped at each student’s tuition and fees
Average Tuition and Fees = $21,800
Current Annual Maximum Award = $2,425
If more students enroll than were appropriated; then a prorated
amount is awarded
If fewer students enroll, then late reported enrollees are awarded
About one-third of FRAG students also receive either
Bright Futures (26%), or FSAG (22%), or both (9%)
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1979 as a State Tuition Voucher Program
(s. 240.401 F.S.) to:
 Support institutional diversity
 Counter declining percentage of students
enrolled at private institutions
 Reduce the difference between public and
private tuition; i.e., tuition equalization grants
 Reduce the tax burden on Florida citizens
 Maximum annual award of $1,000; later
changed to a range of $1,150 - $2,000
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1982 - Required students be degree seeking and
enrolled in Associate or Baccalaureate programs
1983 - Amended residency requirements
1983 - Recommended increased voucher amount if
ratio between tuition and General Revenue at public
institutions decreased for 3 years
1989 - Required institutions be accredited by SACS
1989 - Intent of tuition assistance vs financial aid
1989 - Advanced payments to institutions requiring
subsequent reporting of expenditures
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1991 - Aligned maximum award to 40% of the full cost
to the state for FTE’s at public institutions
1994 - Removed minimum award amount
1994 - Renamed from State Tuition Voucher to William
L. Boyd, IV, Florida Resident Access Grant
2005 - Amended award amount to be set in GAA
annually
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25 Eligible Institutions
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Non-profit
Located in and chartered by the
state
Accredited by an agency holding
membership in the Council on
Postsecondary Accreditation
(dissolved in 1993)
Granted baccalaureate degrees
Credits acceptable without
qualification for transfer to state
universities
Not a state university
Not a pervasively sectarian
institution
Student Eligibility
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Graduate of a Florida high school
Resided continuously in Florida
for 2 years
Registered as a freshman after
7/31/79; freshman or sophomore
after 7/31/80; etc.
Full-time, undergraduate
Not enrolled in a program of study
leading to a degree in theology or
divinity
Making satisfactory academic
progress
Annual Award Amount – no more
than $1,000
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31 Eligible Institutions
Student Eligibility
Independent
Non-profit
Located in and chartered by the
state
 Accredited by the regional
Southern Association of Colleges
and Schools (SACS)
 Grant baccalaureate degrees
 Have a secular purpose
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Undergraduate
Resident
Full-time
Degree Seeking
Not enrolled in a program of study
leading to a degree in theology or
divinity
2.0 GPA to renew each year
Annual Award $2,425
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Name
Ave Maria University** (2010-11)
Barry University
2010-11 Consensus
Student Count
152
2,539
Name
2010-11 Consensus
Student Count
Hodges University
1,709
Jacksonville University
1,285
Beacon College** (2003-04)
35
Bethune-Cookman University
1,870
Nova Southeastern University
3,174
Clearwater Christian College*
229
Palm Beach Atlantic University
1,248
Eckerd College
706
Ringling College of Art & Design
Edward Waters College
475
Rollins College
1,189
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
797
Saint Leo University
2,853
Everglades University** (2010-11)
336
Southeastern University
1,123
Florida College *
133
St. Thomas University
Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences
Florida Institute of Technology
Lynn University
308
496
716
485
1,030
Stetson University
University of Miami
1,374
3,629
949
University of Tampa
1,490
Florida Southern College
1,179
Warner University *
695
Flagler College
1,892
Webber International University
397
Florida Memorial University
*Institution Grandfathered in 1989
**Institution later joined after program inception date
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Academic Year
Appropriation
Maximum Award Amount
Maximum FTE Student
Count
1979-80
$2,400,000
$750
3,200
1980-81
$4,100,000
$750
5,467
1981-82
$729,000
$750
972
1982-83
$9,500,000
$717
13,250
1983-84
$10,100,000
$750
13,467
1984-85
$11,900,000
$778
15,296
1985-86
$13,323,984
$852
15,638
1986-87
$15,989,392
$1,000
15,989
1987-88
$15,975,700
$1,100
14,523
1988-89
$16,672,650
$1,122
14,860
1989-90
$16,672,650
$1,110
15,020
1990-91
$18,839,300
$1,100
17,127
1991-92
$18,215,531
$990
18,400
1992-93
$16,564,373
$924
17,927
1993-94
$18,539,373
$1,090
17,009
1994-95
$19,872,443
$1,090
18,232
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Academic Year
Appropriation
Maximum Award Amount
Maximum FTE Student
Count
1995-96
$19,852,200
$1,200
16,544
1996-97
$28,852,200
$1,800 (1)
16,029
1997-98
$28,852,200
$1,800 (1)
16,029
1998-99
$40,852,200
$1,800
22,696
1999-00
$48,232,944
$2,074
23,256
2000-01
$70,830,388
$2,813 (1)
25,180
2001-02
$70,830,388
$2,686
26,370
2002-03
$79,841,350
$2,686
29,725
2003-04
$79,841,350
$2,251
35,469
2004-05
$79,841,350
$2,369
33,703
2005-06
$93,990,150
$2,850
32,979
2006-07
$102,603,148
$3,000
34,201
2007-08 (2)
$99,193,000
$3,000
33,064
2008-09 (2)
$92,542,395
$2,837
32,620
2009-10
$84,171,709
$2,529 (1)
33,521
2010-11
$83,856,500
$2,425
34,580
Take off the 89-1011 in the first chart
(1) Maximum award prorated to accommodate all eligible students
(2) Appropriation reflects budget reduction
12
Millions
End of Year Disbursements
Projections
FTE Student Count
Student Count
45,000
$105
99.4 M
40,991
$100
$90
35,000
97.2 M
94.4 M
$95
31,278
31,482
32,393
33,266
32,501
34,493
30,000
92.2 M
25,000
89.1 M
20,000
84.1 M
$85
15,000
83.6 M
10,000
$80
5,000
$75
2005-06
Max Award Amount ($2,580)
Average Award ($2,462)
40,000
2006-07
($3,000)
($2,602)
2007-08
($3,000)
($2,600)
2008-09
($2,837)
($2,468)
2009-10
($2,529)
($2,175)
2010-11
($2,425)
2011-12
($2,425)
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2011-12 March 2011 Estimating Conference Consensus
ABLE
FTE
Student
Count
Aggregate
Total
Less Keiser
University
New Total
FRAG
Award
($ 945)
3,872
$3,659,040
899
$849,555
2,973
$2,809,485
Aggregate
Total
Plus Keiser
University *
New Total
Projected Net Cost Increase
Projected Award Amount Decrease
* Estimated student counts from Keiser converted to FTE counts
FTE
Student
Count
Award
($2,425)
35,529
$86,157,825
5,462
$13,245,350
40,991 x
40,991 x
$2,425
$99,403,175
$2,102
$12,395,795
$86,157,825
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Levis Hughes, Chief of Student Financial Assistance, Loan Programs,
Scholarship and Grant Programs
Levis.Hughes@fldoe.org
(850) 410-6810
Theresa Antworth, Director, State Scholarship and Grant Programs
Theresa.Antworth@fldoe.org (850) 410-5185
Annual Report to the Commissioner can be found at
http://www.FloridaStudentFinancialAid.org/SSFAD/pdf/annualreport07-08.pdf
Florida Department of Education
Office of Student Financial Assistance
325 West Gaines Street, Suite 1314
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400
1-888-827-2004
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